Final Moments
by Oswald-Girl
Summary: Obi-Wan has been ready to die since he was thirteen years old. Now, that is exactly what he is going to do, but he never thought his own apprentice would kill him.


Title: Final Moments  
Author: Oswald-Girl  
Characters: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Vader  
Time: Just before Obi-Wan's death aboard the first Death Star  
Rating: K+  
Warning: Character death  
Disclaimer: I do not own anything.

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**Final Moments**

Obi-Wan Kenobi was a lot of things, but stupid was not on that list.

He knew his time had been drawing near for a quite while now, but it still came as a rather nasty shock when he realized his death would be at the hands of his former apprentice. Of course, the aforementioned apprentice was now mutilated and evil beyond recognition, but Obi-Wan could not bring himself to fully separate the twisted machine in front of him from the once young, loving boy he had trained.

What was worse was knowing he was responsible for much of what became of his apprentice. He was fully responsible for at least the physical state of the black-suited menace before him. That was a painful memory, one Obi-Wan tried not to think of. True, the man had given the fallen hero plenty of time and chances to turn back, and even cautioned him not to attempt that final, fateful, terrible maneuver. But all the same, Obi-Wan felt so incredibly guilty as he drew his weapon once more- for the final time- against the man he'd loved like a brother, and he hated himself for what had become of the other man.

It was surreal- déjà vu, really- to fight his apprentice again.

The younger man's technique had changed only slightly with his fall. Obi-Wan knew all his strategies, how to block them, what would come next. That also meant the other man knew the same of Obi-Wan's technique. It was as easy and natural as it had been when the two were merely sparring all those years ago, in a safe friendly way, yet as foreign and unwelcome as a disease. There was a moment when Obi-Wan truly had to concentrate to recall if this battle were now or nineteen years prior.

Again, the former master warned his fallen apprentice of the grave mistake he surely would make. And again, it made absolutely no difference.

Obi-Wan searched for even the slightest hint of the boy he'd trained, but all he found was the man he'd failed.

He knew the man would claim his former name meant nothing to him if Obi-Wan were to bring it up, and so he did not. He instead fell back upon the younger man's new title, hoping to see any reaction from the feared monster the man had become. But that cruel, expressionless, black mask revealed nothing and neither did the man behind it.

Again, a painful memory. How his apprentice had come to require such a mask. Visions of a flaming body haunted Obi-Wan every day and plagued his dreams at night. He would never forget the screams of sheer agony and the smell of burning flesh as he had turned away from his suffering friend. Though he had not been burning physically, he wished he had, for it would have been less painful than the burning of his soul as he left the man he had called a brother to burn, and if fate was merciful, to die.

But fate was not merciful, and he had not died. He had lived. And now he wanted nothing more and nothing less than simple, cold-blooded revenge.

Obi-Wan was ready to die. He had been dying every day since that battle set against a backdrop of lava. He felt dying now would be preferable to continuing this terrible fight. His death would be quick, his black masked opponent would want him dead as quickly as possible, he would not drag it out painfully and allow time for Obi-Wan to escape. Glancing to the side, Obi-Wan saw the son of his apprentice. Smiling slightly, he braced himself for the final blow.

He knew this was the way it had to be. He could guide the son better in death than he could ever hope to in life. Once dead, he would be with those he had lost. Qui-Gon, Siri, everyone else he did not have time to name. From beyond the grave he could watch the events of the war, interfere here and there, and hope it would end better than the other war he had been involved in. In life, that would be much more difficult. In death, he hoped and prayed to whatever was listening, it might even be easier to bear his guilt.

Yes, he was quite sure this was the only way.

Deactivating his only physical defense, Obi-Wan silently and calmly awaited the final moment. His apprentice swung his deadly weapon, and as it made contact, Obi-Wan smiled again. He was ready.

_There is no death, there is the Force._


End file.
